Suns Star Kevin Durant Helped off Court after Injuring Left Leg

 Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) gestures toward a referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP)
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) gestures toward a referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP)
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Suns Star Kevin Durant Helped off Court after Injuring Left Leg

 Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) gestures toward a referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP)
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) gestures toward a referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP)

Phoenix Suns All-Star Kevin Durant was helped to the locker room with 6:57 left in the third quarter against Houston on Sunday night after falling to the floor in a collision with the Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr.

Smith was called for a foul under the Phoenix basket as Durant fell to the floor. The 6-foot-10 forward eventually got to his feet, but could not put any weight on his left leg. He appeared to step on Smith's foot when he fell.

After Houston's 148-109 victory, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said Durant will have an MRI on his left ankle Monday and will not accompany the team to Milwaukee for a game Tuesday night. The Suns also have games at Boston and New York in the next seven days.

With just two weeks remaining, and six games in all, the Suns were already facing an uphill battle to qualify for the final Western Conference play-in berth. Phoenix trails Dallas by two games.

Durant played 23 minutes, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Earlier this season, he moved into eighth place on the NBA career scoring list.



Peace with Sinner: Tennis Fan Pope Leo XIV Meets with Top-Ranked Player During Italian Open Off-Day 

Jannik Sinner of Italy gestures as he plays against Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina their men’s singles round of 16 match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy gestures as he plays against Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina their men’s singles round of 16 match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. (EPA)
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Peace with Sinner: Tennis Fan Pope Leo XIV Meets with Top-Ranked Player During Italian Open Off-Day 

Jannik Sinner of Italy gestures as he plays against Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina their men’s singles round of 16 match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy gestures as he plays against Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina their men’s singles round of 16 match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. (EPA)

Pope Leo XIV has apparently made peace with Jannik Sinner.

The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open, the Vatican said.

Leo, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player and fan and had said earlier this week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist. But at the time, Leo joked “but we can’t invite Sinner,” an apparent reference to the English meaning of Sinner’s last name.

Sinner said it was “a good thing for us tennis players” that the new pope likes to play the sport.

The top-ranked player has a quarterfinal match on Thursday in his first tournament back after a three-month ban for doping that was judged to be an accidental contamination.

Sinner will next face either freshly crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud or Jaume Munar. Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.